2009 PR News CSR Award, Honorable Mentions: Green PR Campaign

Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation for Plastic Bag Elimination

In April 2008, the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation announced it would be eliminating plastic bags as product packaging in all retail stores by Fall 2008. On November 15th, the NSLC made good on their promise. The move has enhanced the mass market retail business' image and secured its status as a community staple. The NSLC is the fourth largest business in Nova Scotia and employs more than 1,500 individuals.

Seattle City Light ­ Green Up Seattle 2008

Seattle City Light serves more than a million customers in the greater Seattle area and has been the leader in renewable energy development for 100 years thanks to its hydroelectric power generation. Green Up Seattle was initiated in 2008 to encourage customers to pay a slightly increased fee on their monthly electric bill, the proceeds of which would go toward supporting alternative renewable energy projects. The Green Up Seattle program aimed for a 20% increase but thanks to a hugely successful multi-media advertising campaign, Seattle City Light received a 37% enlistment increase.

Regional Municipality of Halton ­ "More Blue and Green for a Better Planet"

The Regional Municipality of Halton, located in the Province of Ontario, restructured its waste management service in order to provide a "greener" community for its 430,000 residents. With a goal of extending the life of Halton's landfill site by approximately seven years, the Region increased the frequency and effectiveness of its waste pickup. The operational change was accompanied by a strong social marketing strategy created to educate residents on waste management concerns and instill support from the community.

Land Rover Sustainability Program

SUVs are frequently considered to be wasteful and destructive modes of transportation. Land Rover responded to this generalization by raising awareness of the company's positive actions in regard to sustainability. Land Rover is involved in one of the world's leading CO2 offset programs but it will still be many years before the technology reaches its target. In the meantime, Land Rover has taken precautions to preserve its public image by partnering with conservation charities including Earthwatch and Born Free as well as inviting Prince Charles to appraise its Solihull factory as part of its 60th anniversary celebration.

In this 5th volume of PR News’ Book of Employee Communications, our authors cover more than 45 articles on crisis communications, social media policies, human resources collaboration, brand evangelism and more.